Prayer Requests, Praise Reports, and a Special Request to New Yorkers

I’d like to request prayer for an 81 year old man who is dying of renal failure, congestive heart disease and pulmonary fibrosis. He has been arguing with me about the existence of God for over 30 years. When I read a post by Julie at Happy Catholic about talking to her dad and getting him to promise that if he saw Jesus reaching out to him in the moment of his death to reach back and take Jesus’ hand, I asked my friend do do the same. His face softened and he said”Of course. I’m not too proud to admit if I’ve made a mistake.” I am praying for grace now for my friend in his final hours.

Father, hear our prayer for the grace of a happy death for this man through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen!

“Wow! What a day!! We had a very busy day. We had a couple of friends visit and Grant played video games with them for quite a while. He was able to sit in a chair and left his room in the chair. If all goes well he will be able to be moved to a regular pediatric room tomorrow. This is huge after a month in the PICU!! What a difference a couple of days can make. Saturday I would have never imagined we would have improved this much. Isn’t our God GREAT!! We have seen so many ways in which He has directed Grant’s and our lives these weeks. There is no doubt He loves us more than anything we can imagine and and our Lord and Savior deserves our highest praise. Continue to pray for Grant’s legs as there are still a lot of unknowns there. We will probably have to go to an inpatient rehab center for awhile. We don’t know where that will be yet, but maybe in a couple of weeks we will be headed somewhere else. Thanks for your prayers!!!!”

Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Another reader writes:

A prayer request for my former coworker’s two year old daughter, Lacy, who has cancer.

Yesterday her mother wrote:

… The pathology report showed hepatoblastoma. The worst news possible. It has spread from her liver to her lungs. It is untreatable. She has weeks. Chemo would extend her life, but there are no life saving measures. Her belly is so distended that I don’t think she has long. We will learn more tomorrow.

We are numb, in disbelief, and stricken with unthinkable indescribable grief. I know what the next days will bring but I don’t want to go there. We live in the moment and take in every moment that Lacy is here with us.

Please pray for Lacy – that God keeps her comfortable…she is in a lot of pain. Please pray for my other children…I don’t know how to even begin to explain this to them when the time nears.

Father, we ask for a miracle of healing for Lacy through the intercession of St. Peregrine and through the intercession of Fulton Sheen, who has done other wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit for other children. We also ask skill and compassion for her caregivers and peace, grace, consolation and strength for all who love her. We ask all this through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for all concerned here.

Another reader writes:

I really, really need prayer. My GRE subject test in mathematics is a little over a week away. I’m not doing so well on the practice exams. I had a Bible-sized study guide rush delivered today. The University of Texas is my only viable choice–if I don’t get in, it’s over for my dreams of a Ph.D.. Failure is not an option.

I’m a former seminarian. I quite my steady, stable, well-paying job to go to seminary, and then when I decided it wasn’t for me, that steady, stable, well-paying job was not mine to take. So I nabbed something else, but after three months, I got canned. That was early July. I spent the next two months looking for work, and in early September, I got a job at a warehouse — that lasted three weeks.

Basically, I am not doing so hot. I can’t find work to save my life. I feel like I’m not qualified to do anything, and this is a problem. I don’t know what to do. I worked hard at my last job and my termination was not explained, so I don’t even know what I did wrong. I’m just trying to make it — my girlfriend and I are really seriously talking about getting married, and I can’t do that in good conscience if I’m not pulling in vaguely decent money.

Pray for me, because I’m running out of time. My folks can’t keep bailing me out, and I don’t want them to.

What’s more, my girlfriend got laid off a couple of weeks ago, too. She’s eminently more employable than I am, and shouldn’t have much difficulty finding anything, but prayers for her would be appreciated as well.

Anybody have anything in the New York City area for a young former seminarian trying to get his life together?

Father, we ask that you would give you servant a job swiftly through Christ our Lord! Amen! St. Joseph the Worker and Mother Mary, pray for him.

Please pray for my mother-in-law, who had a massive stroke last week and will be taken off of life support tomorrow. She will likely go to her eternal reward tomorrow and she could use your prayers. Also, please pray for me and my wife and her family, that this bring us all closer to Christ. Thank you and God love you.

Dr. Eric

I offer my prayers through the intercession of St. Bruno.

NYa

NY former seminarian, I may have just seen something for you. Especially if you were at Dunwoodie, you may be familiar with Yonkers. Call these guys:

I just left there and saw a large sign about a big hiring thing they’re going to have; something about the first 70 people to show up *will* get an interview. Not sure when, so do call. They are well known for being very good to their employees and being a great organization to work for; lots of promotion from within. They’ll train. Lots of benefits. And great food!

You can take MetroNorth to the Yonkers station (on the Hudson line, the green line) which you can get at either Grand Central or 125th St and take the #78 bus, which will take you directly to the store. (I’m assuming you don’t have a car?) Or else I believe the 1 train goes to Van Cortland park in the Bronx; check the BeeLine website for buses from there. It’s doable.

Sound track of closing credits in honor of the Secretary of Divine Mercy: please don’t fear the Reaper, just remember ‘bogey’-man in English sounds just like Bogze to Slavic ears (that’d be ‘God’) – the fount of abundant mercy, Jesu ufam tobie! The eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind beckons – truely He stands at the door and knocks!

(and Krishan? I’m Mrs Horseradish in Polish, similar in name to one of Sr Faustyna’s early superiors hence my fondness for spreading her devotion)